610 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Weights of 10 fur-seal shi7is tagged with copper tags bearing consecutive numbers, before 



and after salting. 



[Food killing November 4, 1911, St. Paul Island, Alaska. Skinned as usual at food killings, and entirely 

 without other than natural moisture. Weights include copper tag with wire, averaging 0.21 ounces.] 



Copper 

 tag No. 



Official 

 serial 



No. 



Weight 



green, 



Nov. 4, 



1911. 



Weight 

 salt, 



May 23, 

 1912. 



Loss. 



Weight 

 salt, 



Aug. 17, 

 1912. 



Copper 

 tag No. 



Official 



serial 



No. 



Weight 



green, 



Nov. 4, 



1911. 



Weight 

 salt, 



May 23, 

 1912. 



Loss. 



Weight 

 salt, 



Aug. 17, 

 1912. 



61 



62 



63 



64 



65 



2856 

 2857 

 2858 

 2859 

 2860 



Lbs. ozs. 



4 14 

 6 4 



5 15 

 5 13 

 4 14 



Lbs. ozs. 



4 6* 



5 12J 

 5 7i 

 5 9 

 4 10* 



Ozs. 

 74 

 7i 

 7£ 

 4 

 3J 



Lbs. ozs. 



4 7.75 



5 13.25 

 5 11.25 

 5 10.25 

 4 11.5 



56 



57 



58 



59 



60 



2861 

 2862 

 2863 

 2864 

 2865 



Lbs. ozs. 

 9 



6 14i 



7 8J 

 7 1 

 7 3 



Lbs. ozs. 

 8 4 

 6 9 

 6 10i 

 6 6i 

 6 5* 



Ozs. 

 12 



6i 



14 

 10* 



13* 



Lbs. ozs. 

 8 5 

 6 8.75 

 6 13.5 

 6 6 

 6 8 



Pounds. 



Average weight Nov. 4, 1911 6. 54 



Average weight May 23, 1912 6. 09 



Total, 6.8 per cent 0.45 



Mr. Lembkey. When Mr. Elliott was on the island last summer, 

 repeated requests were made to him. to verify these tests made as 

 already stated. To ascertain the action of salt on the weight of 

 skins, it was proposed to him that certain seals be killed and skinned 

 in his presence, the skins weighed by him and the weight recorded. 

 Those skins, it was proposed, should be salted in his presence, and 

 after remaining in salt for at least five days should be taken out of 

 salt and weighed again, the green and the salt weights of the same 

 skins then to be recorded, and the difference noted, whatever that 

 difference might be. Although this proposition was repeated several 

 times, Mr. Elliott refused to engage in it, claiming that he had no 

 interest whatever in the green and salt weights of skins. Although 

 it was specially desired to have Mr. Elliott make these tests, and 

 notwithstanding repeated offers to do so, it was impossible to have 

 him take any part in them, Mr. Elliott declaring that he was inter- 

 ested only in the weight of the skins after they had been bundled for 

 shipment because, as he stated, that was the way in which they were 

 weighed in London. 



Mr. Stephens. To whom did Mr. Elliott make these statements ? 



Mr. Lembkey. To myself. It was pointed out to him that this 

 could not in any sense be considered a fair test of loss of weight in 

 salting, because these bundles, consisting of two skins each, the 

 flesh sides touching, were rolled together with a lot of loose salt 

 deliberately thrown on to the flesh side to preserve the skins during 

 transit to London. By weighing the bundles not only the weight of 

 the skin, but of this loose salt as well, and of the heavy twine with 

 which the bundle is tied, would also figure in the weights, and neces- 

 sarily make such a test useless in determining whether a skin does 

 gain or loose weight through salting. 



Notwithstanding this explanation, Mr. Elliott stated he would 

 weigh some skins after they had been bundled, and would make no 

 other test on this question. Subsequently he did have 400 skins 

 made into bundles of two each, each bundle containing some handfuls 

 of salt thrown upon them by the native workmen, and tied with 



